Overview of the changing environment for decommissioning at the US Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is redefining its mission as a result of the end of the Cold War and the significantly revised mission for nuclear weapons. The downsizing of the nation's defense complex, as well as the nuclear energy research complex, has resulted in a dramatic increase in the inventory of facilities surplus to DOE's mission. At the same time that the surplus facility inventory is growing rapidly, the recent annual increase in the nation's budget for environmental cleanup has ended. This paper will discuss the Decommissioning Program's re-evaluation of its future and the strategies necessary to meet the responsibilities of the expanding inventory of surplus facilities. (Author)